Who we are

The Centre is managed by a Board of Management working closely with an International Advisory Board.

BOARD OF MANAGEMENT

Executive Director & Board Secretary: Dr Alex Grech

Chair: Professor John P. Portelli

Board Members:
Professor Godfrey Baldacchino
George Borg
Dr Maria Brown
Joseph Cauchi
Rodianne Haber

Dr Alex Grech

Alex Grech is a strategist, change consultant and academic. He has advised multinationals, governments, NGOs and startups in sectors ranging from ICT and neurosciences to culture and education. Alex is a specialist in digital education and lifelong learning and is an expert on the European Commmissoin’s ET2020 working group on digital education and a consultant on the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI) project. Alex teaches new media at the University of Malta within the Faculty of Media & Knowledge Sciences, with research interests in blockchain, digital citizenship, social media and power. He holds a PhD in Internet Computing from the University of Hull and is an FCCA by profession.

Professor John Portelli

John P. Portelli was born in Malta where, after completing a B.A. (Philosophy & Maltese, 1975), he taught history and modern languages at a secondary school and philosophy at a sixth form. In 1977 he was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship and commenced his studies at McGill University from where he obtained an M.A. (1979) and a Ph.D. (1984). Currently he is a professor in the Department of Social Justice Education, and the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at OISE, University of Toronto. He is Co-director of the Centre for Leadership and Diversity and a fellow of St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto.

Professor Godfrey Baldacchino

Godfrey Baladacchino (PhD Warwick) is Pro-Rector for International Development & Quality Assurance and Professor of Sociology at the University of Malta, Malta; UNESCO co-Chair (Island Studies and Sustainability), University of Prince Edward Island, Canada; President, International Small Islands Studies Association (ISISA); and Chair of the Scientific Board of RETI: the network of island universities. He is (co)author or (co)editor of 40 books and monographs, plus some 130 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters.

George Borg

George Borg started his career in the Education sector as a teacher in Primary schools as well as in Special Schools. He held various managerial positions within the Education Directorates namely Head of School, Principal Education Officer, Assistant Director, College Network Coordinator, Director Student Services and Director General (Educational Services). He has a first Degree in Education and a Post-Graduate Diploma in the Education of Children with Special Educational Needs from the University of Malta and a Masters Degree in Education (Special Educational Needs) from the University of Aberdeen. George was pivotal in the reforms in favour of learners with diverse needs that have occurred in Malta over the past twenty years. He has been the Ministry’s representative Board member of the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education and on the Commonwealth of Learning.

Dr Maria Brown

Maria Brown lectures adult education and community-based education within the Department of Arts, Open Communities & Adult Education. Her research interests are in adult education, education, community action and community development, social equality, sociology, social policy, Europeanisation, sustainable development, methodology and research methods – with special interest in computer-assisted quantitative and qualitative data analysis (use of SPSS and NVivo). Maria’s research activities includes EU-funded projects and she has published in academic peer-reviewed publications. Maria holds a Ph.D. in the Sociology of Adult and Non-Formal Education and Community Development, a Master of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Italian.

Joseph Cauchi

Joseph Cauchi taught English and Communication skills at post-secondary institutions, and has extensive experience in both vocational and academic education. He has an honours degree in English, diplomas in teaching and school management and and M.ed. He served as executive secretary of the National Council for Education in 1996-98, and since then has taken a very active interest in disability studies, perhaps because he is now visually impaired himself. He is president of an N.G.O for the Visually impaired specialising in Assistive Devices and is now heading an Erasmus project on the education of visually impaired students. He has participated in developing national strategies with regard to post-secondary education and Disability and Education.

Rodianne Haber

Rodianne Haber is an educator and activist, teaching European Studies at a secondary boys school.  She is Vice Mayor of the Local Council of Siggiewi and a board member of the National Commission for Further & Higher Education in Malta. She has extensive experience on Erasmus+ and e-Twinning projects. Rodianne has a Bachelor  (Hons.) in European Studies & Geography and a Masters in European Contemporary Politics from the University of Bath.

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD

The international advisory board is currently made up of the following institutions:

Commonwealth of Learning

Represented by Professor Asha S. Kanwar (Chair of the Advisory Board) and Dr Balaji Venkataraman

Open University

Represented by Professor John Domingue – Director of the Knowledge Media Institute at the Open University

Creative Commons

Represented by Dr Cable Green

The University of Lille

Represented by Mme. Perrine de Coetlogon